Walter Krüger (SS general)

Walter Krüger
Krüger (left) with Colonel General Erich Hoepner in October 1941
Born	27 February 1890
Died	22 May 1945 (aged 55) Libau, Reichskommissariat Ostland
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1908–20, 1935–45
Rank	Obergruppenführer
Service number	SS #266,184
Commands held	SS Division Das Reich VI SS Army Corps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Walter Krüger (27 February 1890 – 22 May 1945 was a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. At the end of the war, Krüger committed suicide.

Career

Krüger was the son of an army officer and attended cadet school. He took part in World War I, later joining the Freikorps in the Baltic region during 1919. In 1933, when Adolf Hitler gained power, Krüger worked in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht training department. In 1935, he joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe where he formed the SS-Standarte Germania. He then served as an instructor the SS Officer's school at Bad Tölz. He earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, after taking command of the SS Polizei Division which fought on the Leningrad front.

Krüger became commander of the SS Division SS Division Das Reich in March 1943. After that, he went on to become the inspector general of all infantry troops of the Waffen-SS. He assumed command of the newly formed, voluntary, VI (Latvian) SS Corps. On 22 May 1945, Krüger committed suicide in the Courland Pocket.^[1]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (13 June 1940) & 1st Class (22 June 1940)^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
  • Knight's Cross on 13 December 1941 as commander of the SS Polizei Division^[1]
  • 286th Oak Leaves on 31 August 1943 as commander of SS Division Das Reich^[1]
  • 120th Swords on 11 January 1945 as as commanding general of the VI SS Army Corps^[1]

References

Citations

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 479.
2. Thomas 1997, p. 416.

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (1999). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges [With Oak Leaves and Swords. The Highest Decorated Soldiers of the Second World War] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-0-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.